Skip to main content

ella User Reviews & Ratings

ella has an average rating of 7.3 out of 10 from a total of 765 reviews on Drugs.com. 64% of reviewers reported a positive experience, while 15% reported a negative experience.

Condition Avg. Rating Reviews Compare
Emergency Contraception
7.3
765 reviews for Emergency Contraception 28 medications

Write a review

Reviews for ella

  • Rel...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • February 27, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "This page has been a godsend for me the past few weeks so wanted to share my story to put anyone else in the same boat at ease. Took Ella One roughly 13 hours after an accident with a condom! On Tuesday 30th lo and behold, this was in my fertile days. Period was due 20th Feb... several pregnancy tests... I was doing one a day, I was that worried!! 7 days later my period has finally just come on and could cry with relief. No side effects whatsoever after taking the tablet but roughly 2 weeks ago to this day I have been feeling bloated, nauseous, sore boobs THE LOT. I was convinced I was pregnant. If you have anxiety, taking this tablet will make you worse with worry BUT it is common for the pill to make your period late so try not to worry. Just come and read this page for reassurance"

10 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
353 Report
  • Amy...
  • May 1, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "The length of my menstrual cycle is 26 days, always was regular. My last menstruation was on the 14th of February. I had unprotected sex on the 23rd of the same month and took the morning-after pill immediately. I again had unprotected sex on the 8th of March but did not take the pill since he didn’t ejaculate inside me. My period was due on the 11th of March (3 days before the expected period). I thought there was no chance of getting pregnant, but unfortunately, I didn’t get my period on the 11th as I expected. I was kinda worried. I didn’t experience the side effects of the pill - no nausea, slight bleeding, dizziness, nothing. After 7 days of the missed period, I took a home pregnancy test, and it was negative. I took another urine test after 14 days, also negative. Believe it or not, it took 51 days to get back my period. If your pregnancy test is negative, just wait and don’t waste your money on expensive tests, you'll get your period. Just be patient. I had to wait for 7 weeks and 2 days. Good luck, ladies."

5 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
289 Report
  • Kiw...
  • May 10, 2021

For Emergency Contraception "I promised I would share my story with you all, so here it goes. I had my period on the 17th of March. Had UPS on the 25th of March, took Norlevo 12 hours after. Heavy bleeding 5 days later, so I knew it worked. Had UPS again on the 5th of April. I took EllaOne 13 hours after, on the 6th of April. And that's where the stress begins... No symptoms. I saw lots of women saying they had every symptom on the planet, but for me, absolutely nothing. I forgot about it... Until my period didn't come. One week went by, then two, then three, and I began losing my sanity. And STILL NO SYMPTOMS. NOTHING. I researched abortion possibilities for weeks, too scared to even take a pregnancy test because I didn't want to face it. I waited 55 DAYS, and my period just came. I am so relieved. To all the girls/women who get scared about the '7 days delay MAX or you're pregnant' info on the internet, it isn't true. Your period will come, you've done the hard part."

8 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
162 Report

Frequently asked questions

  • Ell...
  • June 21, 2017

For Emergency Contraception "I absolutely know what it feels like to be worried and stressed, so please try your best to stay calm. So anyway, I had unprotected sex, and the next morning I took the morning-after pill, EllaOne (after 13-14 hours). I was probably ovulating at the time I had sex, so I was freaking out so much, you have no idea. I started smoking a lot and eating so little due to stress, and every time I got a cramp here and there, I thought to myself, 'OMG, I must be pregnant.' I got the ClearBlue pregnancy test and tested 6 days before my expected period. Negative! I did a second test 4 days before my expected period. Negative! After doing my second pregnancy test, I happened to get my period a few hours later that day! So of course, relief! The stress was gone! So anyway, I was expecting my second period to come, but it didn't, and I started googling so many things every hour of the day. I was absolutely going psycho, hiding and crying, smoking too much again, eating nothing, and the stress was making me sick. Of course, I googled pregnancy symptoms: lower back pain, cramps, so I went psycho and thought, 'Oh my God, I must be pregnant.' But calm, the exact same symptoms are also due to stress and anxiety! I then did another pregnancy test. Negative! (It would've been about a month and a bit after I had unprotected sex.) I was stress-free for a day, then again, Google screwed with my head and told me that I was basically pregnant when I wasn't! I was still waiting for my period, and it wasn't coming, and then I started getting discharge. It was different textures every day: crumbly, egg white, etc., and then this was followed by brown discharge. I absolutely freaked out, and Google told me that if I had brown discharge, I could be pregnant. I did another pregnancy test (negative), but this wasn't enough for me because I was already gone psycho. So I spoke to the pharmacist, broke down in tears, and told her I was so scared. She said to me that the morning-after pill had so many hormones that can delay or make your period come early. The brown discharge is basically dried blood that couldn't come out. It's because of the morning-after pill playing with your hormones. Two days later, psycho me, I had a doctor's appointment, told her about my story, she did a pregnancy test (negative), and assured me that I was not pregnant and told me the same things that the pharmacist had told me, the brown discharge is due to the pill, and that my period could be irregular for a few months. I was calm for a day. Got home, started googling so many things and I freaked out again, so I had to return to her for a blood test because that is 100% accurate. So anyway, I got my results today, and I am not pregnant! Now I'm going to patiently wait for my next period to arrive! So to the girls out there that don't want to get pregnant and have taken the morning-after pill within the necessary time. Please don't google too many things, it really messed with my head. You are more than likely fine! Good luck!"

Was this helpful?YesNo
250 Report
  • Bex...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • October 24, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "I had UPS a week after my period and took the EllaOne pill within 24 hours. I have now missed 3 periods, 3 months down the line. 110% not pregnant after doing 20+ pregnancy tests and even having blood tests and ultrasound to confirm I’m not pregnant! This really has messed my cycle up, and I've been going out of my mind with worry ever since."

10 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
134 Report

Are you taking this medicine?

Your review helps others make informed decisions.
Write a review
  • Lar...
  • January 22, 2021

For Emergency Contraception "I had sex in my fertile window. The app said I was at 1dpo, but apps cannot be trusted with predicting ovulation accurately. Condom slippage happened during withdrawal, and a few drops leaked inside of me. Within 40 mins, I took EllaOne, and had some pain in the ovary from which I usually ovulate. Note: It's very possible I was actually GOING TO ovulate, I had all the symptoms. I thought I already ovulated and I was going to get pregnant anyway. I get your anxiety! I'm lucky to have such a supportive boyfriend. A pregnancy would ruin any chance of me getting into medical school. Turned out my period was 3 days late. To anyone going through anxiety and stress because of this: THIS PILL IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE ON THE MARKET, but take it ASAP. Don't waste time. If you already ovulated, it thickens cervical mucus and thins the endometrium, so pregnancy is unlikely. I believe women who become pregnant even on the pill most likely do so for waiting too long. Your period will come! Sending warm hugs"

10 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
122 Report
  • bee...
  • January 6, 2021

For Emergency Contraception "Hey guys! So I had UPS on Dec 2nd and took EllaOne about 48 hours after. I was towards the start of my cycle and was due to ovulate in about four days. My next period was due on Dec 27th and it’s pretty regular, so of course I was freaked out when it was late. I came straight to this site to see if it had made other people’s periods late and was reassured to see that it had, but mine was almost 2 weeks late at this point, so I was getting really worried. I took 2 pregnancy tests 3 days apart, but both were negative. This helped calm me down a bit, but I was still just desperate to get my period. I was getting PMS symptoms like cramps, tender breasts, and backache, but as these are also symptoms of early pregnancy, it wasn’t much of a reassurance. Long story short, I got my period this morning and feel like I can breathe again! I hope this can offer a bit of reassurance to someone reading this. Don’t underestimate the power of this pill and how it can affect your cycle. It really does work."

7 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
115 Report
  • Anonymous
  • July 24, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "Wanted to share my story as I found comfort in all of yours. I had unprotected sex with my boyfriend and realized my Flo app said it was ovulation day! I absolutely panicked and took Ella 12 hours after, although I was still so worried as I read that if you have already ovulated, Ella won’t work. I’ve read up a lot about this and it actually has 2 other functions if used after ovulation: 1. Thickens cervical mucus to stop sperm from getting to the egg. 2. Makes it difficult for a fertilized egg to implant. Over the weeks, I had cramps, lots of discharge, and mood swings. I took a negative test at 16dpo (days after ovulation) and then eventually 10 days late, my period arrived! Also just a note to be careful with calculating ovulation dates. Websites like Clearblue gave me completely different dates. I know this tablet may have some side effects and isn’t good for anxiety, but at the end of the day, all these things are 100 times better than an unwanted pregnancy. Please trust the process even if you were around ovulation, it can still work!"

10 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
120 Report
  • HJM...
  • February 3, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "Hey, hopefully this puts someone’s mind at ease! I took Ella one 3 days before my ovulation, so I was a bit wary as there is a chance it may not work around your fertile days but decided not to panic yet as it was still early days. It came to the week before my period and I wasn’t getting any of my usual PMS symptoms. Two weeks went by and my period had still not arrived, so I did a pregnancy test and it was negative. Then a whole month went by and still NO period, and I was still getting negative tests. I went to visit my doctor and she confirmed I was not pregnant. She confirmed that stress and the hormones in the pill are the reason why my period was missed. Then the day after my doctor's appointment, my period arrived! My advice to anyone taking this pill is to not worry because Ella will delay your period even if it’s more than a week or two, but try not to worry. She did her job and is a great EC, but I wouldn’t put myself through the stress and anxiety again. Stay safe girls x"

9 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
125 Report
  • BHa...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • May 7, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "I took Ellaone 2 days after unprotected sex, started to get bad belly pains a few days later but never came on a period. It’s been a month now. I started with tender breasts last week and bad belly pains again. I knew something wasn’t right so I did a pregnancy test and I am pregnant."

1 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
102 Report
  • Ano...
  • January 13, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "I was in the same boat, reading reviews to help ease my mind after taking ella! I had unprotected sex and so the day after I took ella. My period was over 3 weeks late. I was very concerned and even took 2 pregnancy tests, both were negative. This pill really delays your period and makes it worse, sorry to tell you! I felt all the symptoms before my period started which made me paranoid. I was emotional, had tender breasts, and cramping. This pill worked but having to wait almost a month on whether or not I was pregnant was absolute torture. I was relieved when I got my period, but I had a heavier flow and I was cramping more than usual! This pill works, it just delays your period an extra 2-3 weeks!"

7 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
84 Report
  • nic...
  • August 25, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "Our condom broke, so I took ellaOne 17 hours later just to be safe. I was pretty sure I was ovulating, and it’s better to be safe than sorry. I didn’t experience any side effects, but my period wasn’t coming, and I was stressing about it a lot. Days went by, and still not a single sign of my period. The claims that the pill can only make your period up to seven days late sure weren’t helping. But then I read all of these reviews, which made me calm down a bit (since a lot of people have said that their period was over 10 days late after taking the pill), which is why I felt the need to share my experience as well. The next day, I got my period (11 days late), but it’s a lot heavier and much more painful than usual. Overall, I’m thankful it has worked for me, but I hope to never have to experience this kind of stress again."

9 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
65 Report
  • ell...
  • June 4, 2021

For Emergency Contraception "I would return here and share my experience once I made it out. I made the mistake of having UPS (withdrawal) on May 1. I took Ella 2 days after. Fast forward to May 18, no period. A week went by. So worried, I’m testing basically every two days, all negative. After 1.5 weeks, I start to feel cramping and bloating like before a period, although normally I really don’t. I also had a big appetite and would cry watching animal videos, I scared I was pregnant. I keep testing negative, but I’m losing it. I also felt my emotional state very bad, I was sad and also having vivid dreams and crippling anxiety. Thank goodness today (2.5 weeks late) I finally got it. Immediately, I feel better. I can say that this pill does do its job, but you will never want to do this again. It’s physically/mentally awful. I will begin a regular birth control pill - this stress is too bad for us! Stay safe, girls, and try not to stress (I know it’s impossible). You will come out the other side!"

8 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
55 Report
  • Hap...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • February 4, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "I never usually write reviews, but this site really helped me stay calm while my mind went crazy. I had unprotected sex on the 8th of January, the day of my ovulation. Stupid me... I took it the next day and just thought I would get my period as usual, but that never happened. I started to get pregnancy symptoms - nausea, tender breasts. I was super scared... my period was due on the 23rd of January, it never came. I did a thousand pregnancy tests that were normal. I even panicked that I was infertile. Then, on the 4th of February, I got my period 11 days late. I’m so relieved... EllaOne works, just trust the process..."

8 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
69 Report
  • Kat...
  • January 12, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "These reviews and experiences helped me so much to not freak out so I feel like I owe this site my experience as well! I stupidly had unprotected sex with my boyfriend on my ovulation day. No pharmacy close to where we lived (we were on vacation and we didn’t know the place). Thankfully, the next day we were leaving so I could take the pill. Long story short, I took the pill 39 hours later, no side effects, everything felt fine. Around the time my period was supposed to come, it never came. I started to have pregnancy symptoms and I went crazy thinking about abortion. Stupidly again, I never took a pregnancy test to put my mind at peace because I was scared of the thought that I might be pregnant. I ended up missing my period for a month. 51 days later, my period finally came and I’m so relieved! IT WORKS! It just messes up your cycle, so stay calm, girls. Always take a pregnancy test and always be protected. I learned my lesson!"

8 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
68 Report
  • Anx...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • January 29, 2019

For Emergency Contraception "I just wanted to share my experience with this drug. I had sex on the 6th of January, 3 days before ovulation. I took the Ella on the morning of the 8th of Jan (one day before ovulation). As all these ovulation days are predictions, I was super stressed and thought the egg had already been released when I took the EC. My period was due on the 26th but never came. This caused me great anxiety and even a panic attack, as I usually have the most regular cycle. Finally, 6 days later, I got my period. It was very painful and had pregnancy-like symptoms all month (strong smells and increased appetite) prior to my period due date. GIRLS!!!!!! DO NOT PANIC! YOUR MENTAL HEALTH IS IMPORTANT. ELLA HAS PROBABLY DONE ITS JOB AT 95% OF THE CASES, AND IF YOU ARE PART OF THE 5%, THEN THERE ARE ALWAYS SOLUTIONS TO MOST SITUATIONS, good or bad. Good luck to all and deep breaths."

7 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
64 Report
  • Amy...
  • February 13, 2021

For Emergency Contraception "This is for anyone worrying about your period being delayed after taking the Ella pill. Had UPS about 5 days before my period was due, so I was very sure I was out of my fertile days, but I took the Ella pill the next day anyway just to be safe. Period didn't come when it was due, but I didn't worry much about it. Then, 2 weeks later, still didn't get it, so I took a pregnancy test and it was negative. 1 week after that, still didn't get it, so I took another pregnancy test and it was negative. On the same day, got brown discharge and went crazy thinking it was implantation bleeding, and it lasted for 3 days. As days went by, I started getting cramps, sore breasts, and feeling tired, and I was convinced that it was pregnancy symptoms, but looking back, I was definitely overthinking it. FINALLY, today, 41 days later, I got my period. I just want to say if your pregnancy test is negative and you still haven't gotten your period, don’t worry, it's just the hormones from the pills messing your cycle up."

9 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
46 Report
  • Anonymous
  • November 23, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "Here to hopefully reassure you, girls. I took ellaone twice within the same cycle (not ideal, but 2 separate accidents left little choice). I took it the morning after UPS both times. My periods are normally very regular, however, Ella really delayed my period. My period has just arrived today, 25 days late. Despite numerous negative pregnancy tests, I was still paranoid and needed the reassurance of getting my period. If your period is late and you’ve got a negative pregnancy result, try to be patient (easier said than done, I know). The stress of wondering where it is will probably delay it even more. These are powerful pills, and unsurprising the hormones will affect our bodies and cycles in these ways."

Was this helpful?YesNo
48 Report
  • Pin...
  • August 22, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "I took Ella one 48 hours after a condom broke. My period didn’t come on time, and after reading reviews on here, I reassured myself it was the morning-after pill that has messed up my cycle. My period is now 12 days late, so I decided to take a test just to be sure, and it turns out I’m pregnant! Don’t take these reviews and assume everything’s fine like I did, I wish I had taken a test straight away!"

1 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
50 Report
  • Mja...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • October 26, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "I had unprotected sex on Sep 29, took the Ella pill on October 1. I was supposed to get my period on October 2, but I didn’t get it. On October 8, I took a pregnancy test, it was negative. On October 18, my period was still late, took another pregnancy test, and it was positive. I guess I’m one of the few that got pregnant. I thought I had a Plan B, now I only have a Plan A."

1 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
46 Report
  • juk...
  • June 9, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "So I took Ella One after unprotected sex on March 24. I took it less than 24 hours after. The first week I was feeling really bloated, dizzy, however, it went away. On the 16th of April, I started spotting, and on the 19th I got my “period,” but it was so different than a blood period and not heavy at all. Around May 13, I started with period symptoms such as breast tenderness, dizziness, morning sickness, mood swings like normally, HOWEVER, it came 10 times stronger than ever in my life. I had those symptoms for the whole month. I was supposed to get my period on the 20th of May, and it was already 10 days late. I began feeling extremely bloated, and so I took three pregnancy tests. All negative, so I kind of felt relieved, but I was still feeling off. I stopped with the breast tenderness finally but was still feeling bloated and nauseous. I was sure I was pregnant until today! After 50 days, I finally got my period. Ella One works, but it also makes your cycle/hormones go crazy. Don't take it if you have anxiety."

10 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
49 Report
  • Ela...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • January 4, 2021

For Emergency Contraception "I had unprotected sex while ovulating but waited till the fifth day to take EllaOne, which was after my fertile window. I was meant to get my period on the 31st of December, but I didn't. I was so worried, but the comments here kept me calm. I had very sore nipples, which are still on now. After taking Ella, I didn't have any symptoms until one week after: acne, yellow to white, very thick vaginal discharge, period-like cramps, diarrhea, which got me all kinds of scared. My period finally came 4 days late, and so far, it has been a pretty heavy flow. Writing this review to girls who are stressing out to just trust the process. Although I'm giving this a 10, I don't think I would like to repeat the experience."

10 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
44 Report
  • Agm...
  • May 9, 2019

For Emergency Contraception "I took Ella two weeks ago after failing to use any contraception. It was day 13 of my cycle, so bang in the middle of my most fertile period. I took Ella about 5 hours after the unprotected sex. Didn't experience any side effects, so kinda forgot about it for 2 weeks. Then yesterday, I got really sick, I was vomiting loads, was really tired, and had a headache. This then sent my brain into overdrive, and I read loads of stuff on the internet about how it doesn't work when you're ovulating and loads of really bad reviews. I was convinced I was pregnant. Today I have come on my period right on schedule, and I am so relieved. Honestly, I would avoid the internet and just wait it out. People are more likely to leave a bad review if they're annoyed than leave a good one if it worked perfectly! But here is mine to put people's minds at rest."

10 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
57 Report
  • kkk...
  • February 2, 2021

For Emergency Contraception "I had UPS on the exact day of my ovulation according to the app I use to track my cycle. The condom broke, and it was 2 AM, so I had to wait for pharmacies to open. So, I ended up taking Ella 8 hours after the incident. I did not really experience any side effects except for the swollen breasts. I was super stressed because, well, it happened on the day of ovulation. I could only wait 15 days for my period, which I didn't get on that date, so I took a blood test, but the doctor said there is a chance for it to be wrong; so I waited more, and it was so stressful, and the only thing that kept me calm a bit was reading this site's comments, so I promised myself to share my experience after the stressful days came to an end. I got my period 5 days later (it was lighter than usual), and honestly, I don't know if it was the drug or me stressing too much for more than 2 weeks. I was super moody during this time, which is normal since the hormonal balance is messed up. But girls, YOU WILL BE FINE. THIS DRUG WORKS!!!"

10 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
43 Report
  • Chi...
  • October 11, 2019

For Emergency Contraception "I also felt really relieved after reading what's written here, so here is my recent experience: I took Ellaone in the first two hours after having unprotected sex. It was around one day before ovulation. I'm super regular, and my cycle lasts approximately 31 days. When my period was already five days delayed, I did a pregnancy test. It came out negative, but some days I was feeling really tired and nauseous. However, when my period got delayed by 14 days, I was still super scared and went to the gynecologist (always go to a professional). She did an ultrasound and another pregnancy test, everything was showing I wasn't pregnant. Finally, my period came 25 DAYS LATE. What I want to say is: it works but has side effects. I really think the best option is to go to the gynecologist to not be stressed because stress also delays the period. I hope this is useful information, you're not alone, talk with your friends and your doctor :)"

9 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
53 Report
Reviews may be edited to correct grammar/spelling or to remove inappropriate language and content. Reviews that appear to be created by parties with a vested interest are not published. This information is not intended to endorse any particular medication. While these reviews may be helpful, they are not a substitute for the expertise, knowledge, and judgement of healthcare professionals.